CH5221 FOOD INDUSTRY SEMINAR SERIES

This seminar course will introduce the students to the Food Industry in Singapore, Asia and beyond. Prominent speakers from various Food MNCs, local SMEs, and regulatory bodies (AVA and/or WHO) will be invited to present every week on various topics and food issues. This will also give the students a valuable opportunity to interact personally with food industries and have a deeper understanding of the food policies and issues around the world. This course is aimed to raise awareness among students about real world challenges in food industry around the world and in Singapore. Subjects such as food security, food sustainability and food waste management will be the main focus for every week's seminar. A convergence of factors has made food security one of the most important global issues. An increasing population wants a more varied diet, but is trying to grow more food on less land with limited access to water, all the time facing increased costs for fertiliser, and fuel for storage and transport. Even after food is grown, stored and transported, serious losses can occur, and in developing nations where `plentiful? food is wasted. A review of food waste in the US calculated that around 20% of the amount available to consume, was lost from retailing onwards. This translate to 20% of the land, water, labour, seed, pesticide and fertiliser are wasted in the process and thus this is also a financial and environmental loss too. In view of the growing world population and thus a growing demand in food, most of the food produced today is reflective of an unsustainable food system. This food is dependent on foreign oil, is destroying soil, contaminates water, has caused disease outbreaks, and may be robbing our future generations of the ability to grow food at all.